Hot cross bun

{{Infobox food

| name = Hot cross bun

| image = File:Hot cross buns - fig and pecan.jpg

| image_size = 300

| caption = Homemade hot cross buns

| alternate_name =

| country = England

| creator =

| course =

| type = Spiced bun

| served =

| main_ingredient = Wheat flour, currants or raisins with spices

| variations =

| calories =

| other =

}}

A hot cross bun is a spiced bun, usually containing small pieces of raisins and marked with a cross on the top, traditionally eaten on Good Friday in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, India, Pakistan, Malta, United States, Argentina and the Commonwealth Caribbean.{{cite news |last1=Alexander |first1=Deepa |title=Season's eatings |url=https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/hot-cross-buns-fresh-off-the-oven-in-chennai/article17907662.ece |work=The Hindu |access-date=13 March 2021 |language=English |date=10 April 2017 |archive-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117203350/https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/hot-cross-buns-fresh-off-the-oven-in-chennai/article17907662.ece |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Caribbean Easter meals to keep families together during covid-19 {{!}} Loop Caribbean News |url=https://caribbean.loopnews.com/content/caribbean-easter-meals-keep-families-together-during-covid-19 |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=Loop News |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2016-03-25 |title=Hot Cross Buns, A Caribbean Easter Tradition |url=https://globalvoices.org/2016/03/25/hot-cross-buns-a-caribbean-easter-tradition/ |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=Global Voices |language=en}} They are available all year round in some countries, including the UK.{{cite web |last=Rohrer |first=Finlo |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8598312.stm |title=BBC - How did hot cross buns become two a penny? |publisher=BBC News |date=1 April 2010 |access-date=26 April 2014 |archive-date=13 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613213448/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8598312.stm |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Always a good time for hot cross buns {{!}} Coles |url=https://www.coles.com.au/whats-happening/inspire-and-create/always-a-good-time-for-hot-cross-buns |website=Coles |access-date=27 December 2021 |language=en |archive-date=26 December 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211226094914/https://www.coles.com.au/whats-happening/inspire-and-create/always-a-good-time-for-hot-cross-buns |url-status=live }}

The bun marks the end of the season of Lent and different elements of the hot cross bun each have a specific meaning, such as the cross representing the crucifixion of Jesus, the spices inside signifying the spices used to embalm him and sometimes also orange peel reflecting the bitterness of his time on the cross.{{cite book|last1=Turner|first1=Ina|last2=Taylor|first2=Ina|title=Christianity|year=1999|publisher=Nelson Thornes|isbn=9780748740871|page=50|quote=To mark the end of the Lent fast Christians eat hot cross buns. These have a special meaning. The cross in the middle shows how Jesus died. Spices inside remind Christians of the spices put on the body of Jesus. Sweet fruits in the bun show that Christians no longer have to eat plain foods.}}{{cite book|last=Fakes|first=Dennis R.|title=Exploring Our Lutheran Liturgy|date=1 January 1994|publisher=CSS Publishing|isbn=9781556735967|page=33|quote=Since people often gave up meat during Lent, bread became one of the staples of Lent. Bakers even began making dough pretzels--a knotted length of dough that represented a Christian praying, with arms crossed and hands placed on opposite shoulders. Hot cross buns are popular during Lent. The cross of course reminds the eater of Christ's cross.}}

History

In the Christian tradition, the making of buns with a cross on them and consuming them after breaking the fast on Good Friday, along with "crying about 'Hot cross buns{{'"}}, is done in order to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus.{{cite book |title=The Origin of the Fasts and Festivals of the Church |date=1843 |publisher=Thomas Hatton |location=London |page=28 |language=en}}

In 1592, during the reign of Elizabeth I of England, the London Clerk of Markets issued a decree forbidding the sale of spiced buns and other spiced breads, except at burials, on Good Friday, or at Christmas.{{Cite web |last=Simmonds |first=Alecia |date=2019-04-15 |title=The history of the hot cross bun |url=https://www.gourmettraveller.com.au/dining-out/culture/the-history-of-the-hot-cross-bun-15667/ |access-date=2025-03-29 |website=Gourmet Traveller |language=en-AU}} The punishment for transgressing the decree was forfeiture of all the forbidden product to the poor. As a result, hot cross buns at the time were primarily made in domestic kitchens. Further attempts to suppress the sale of these items outside of these holy days took place during the reign of James I of England (1603–1625).{{cite book | last1 = David | first1 = Elizabeth | author-link1 = Elizabeth David | title = English Bread and Yeast Cookery | chapter = Yeast Buns and Small Tea Cakes | publisher = The Viking Press | year = 1980 | location = New York | pages = [https://archive.org/details/englishbreadyeas00davi/page/473 473–474] | isbn = 0670296538 | chapter-url-access = registration | chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/englishbreadyeas00davi | url = https://archive.org/details/englishbreadyeas00davi/page/473 }}

The first definite record of hot cross buns comes from a London street cry: "Good Friday comes this month, the old woman runs. With one or two a penny hot cross buns", which appeared in Poor Robin's Almanac for 1733.Charles Hindley (2011). "A History of the Cries of London: Ancient and Modern". p. 218. Cambridge University Press, The line "One a penny, two a penny, hot cross-buns" appears in the English nursery rhyme "Hot Cross Buns" published in the London Chronicle for 2–4 June 1767.{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Easter Celebrations Worldwide |date=2021 |publisher=McFarland |page=130}} Food historian Ivan Day states, "The buns were made in London during the 18th century. But when you start looking for records or recipes earlier than that, you hit nothing."

Traditions

File:Hot Cross Buns Ad for Good Friday 1884.jpg

English folklore includes many superstitions surrounding hot cross buns. One is that if the bun was made from dough kneaded for the host

and baked and served on Good Friday, it would not spoil or grow mouldy during the subsequent year. Much the same was claimed for sacrificial bread in Classical times before Christianity.Brewer's Concise Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, Cassell Publishers, 1992, p. 151 Another belief encourages keeping such a bun for medicinal purposes. A piece of it given to someone who is ill is said to help them recover.{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.practicallyedible.com/edible.nsf/pages/hotcrossbuns |title=Hot Cross Buns |access-date=9 March 2009 |encyclopedia=Practically Edible: The Web's Biggest Food Encyclopedia |publisher=Practically Edible |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090403185509/http://www.practicallyedible.com/edible.nsf/pages/hotcrossbuns |archive-date=3 April 2009 |df=dmy-all }}

If taken on a sea voyage, hot cross buns are said to protect against shipwreck. If hung in the kitchen, they are said to protect against fire and ensure that all breads turn out perfectly. The hanging bun is replaced each year.

Other versions

In the United Kingdom, the major supermarkets produce variations on the traditional recipe such as toffee, orange-cranberry, salted caramel and chocolate, and apple-cinnamon.{{cite news |title=Best hot cross buns, simnel cake and Easter desserts 2024 |url=https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/our-top-hot-cross-bun-picks |access-date=1 July 2019 |work=BBC Good Food |language=en |archive-date=30 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330061030/https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/our-top-hot-cross-bun-picks |first=Lucy |last=Roxburgh |date=13 February 2024 |url-status=live }}

In Australia, recent variations of the Hot Cross Bun by major supermarkets have included chocolate chip, sour cherry, burger sauce, Iced VoVo, Pizza Shapes, Vegemite and cheese, jalapeño and cheese, and others.{{cite news | url=https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/tips-and-advice/we-taste-tested-novelty-hot-cross-buns-so-you-don-t-have-to-and-pizza-shapes-weren-t-even-the-worst-20240215-p5f55m.html | title=We taste-tested novelty hot cross buns so you don’t have to (and Pizza Shapes weren’t even the worst) |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |first=Bianca |last=Hrovat |date=16 February 2024 | access-date=30 March 2024 | archive-date=30 March 2024 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330052156/https://www.smh.com.au/goodfood/tips-and-advice/we-taste-tested-novelty-hot-cross-buns-so-you-don-t-have-to-and-pizza-shapes-weren-t-even-the-worst-20240215-p5f55m.html | url-status=live }}

In Jamaica and some Commonwealth Caribbean islands, the hot cross bun has over time evolved into a spiced Easter bun with the addition of molasses, spices and a loaf shape.{{Cite news |title=Perspective {{!}} Making Jamaican spiced bun for my mother was a final act of love |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2022/04/27/jamaican-spiced-buns-recipe/ |archive-date=30 March 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330060044/https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2022/04/27/jamaican-spiced-buns-recipe/ |first=Tiffany |last=Anne-Parkes |date=27 April 2022 |url-access=registration |access-date=2023-04-03 |issn=0190-8286}}{{Cite web |date=2021-04-01 |title=Supermarkets report mixed Easter bun sales |url=https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/supermarkets-report-mixed-easter-bun-sales/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240330061532/https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2021/04/01/supermarkets-report-mixed-easter-bun-sales/ |archive-date=30 March 2024 |url-status=live |first=Brittny |last=Hutchinson |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=Jamaica Observer |language=en-US}} This bun is eaten with cheese in islands such as Jamaica and Guyana and served with beverages such as mauby or ginger beer.{{Cite web |title=Caribbean Easter meals to keep families together during covid-19 |url=https://caribbean.loopnews.com/content/caribbean-easter-meals-keep-families-together-during-covid-19 |access-date=2023-04-03 |website=caribbean.loopnews |first=Dillon |last=De Shong |date=10 April 2020 |language=en |archive-date=30 March 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20240330060319/https://caribbean.loopnews.com/content/caribbean-easter-meals-keep-families-together-during-covid-19 }}

In Slovakia and in the Czech Republic, mazanec is a similar cake or sweet bread eaten at Easter. It often has a cross marked on top.{{cite web |url=http://festivals.iloveindia.com/easter/traditions/easter-in-czech-republic.html |title=Easter in Czech Republic |access-date=7 December 2007 |publisher=Iloveindia |archive-date=2 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402115554/http://festivals.iloveindia.com/easter/traditions/easter-in-czech-republic.html |url-status=live }}

The cross

File:Hot cross buns for Easter, April 2006.jpg

The traditional method for making the cross on top of the bun is to use shortcrust pastry,{{cite book

| last = Berry | first = Mary | author-link = Mary Berry (food writer) | title = Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook | publisher = Dorling Kindersley | edition = First edition (2nd reprint) | year = 1996 | location = Godalming, Surrey | page = 386 | isbn = 1858335671 }}{{cite book

| last = Smith | first = Delia | author-link = Delia Smith | title = Delia Smith's Cookery Course | publisher = British Broadcasting Corporation | edition = First edition (8th reprint) | year = 1986 | location = London | page = 62 | isbn = 0563162619 }} though some 21st century recipes recommended a paste of flour and water.{{Citation | title = The Great British Bake-off: Paul Holywood's Hot Cross Bun | newspaper = Easy Cook (magazine) | page = 38 | date = April 2013 | issue = 60}}.